“At this extraordinary time, Independent Schools are – together with the rest of the country – facing a challenge like no other with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus. Schools throughout the UK are confronting the reality of extended closures, the cancellation of public exams and the complete suspension of ordinary activities.

So, in order to protect the long-term vitality of the sector we all need to start to look ahead beyond the immediate crisis and begin to plan for a brighter future. Independent Schools of the Year 2020 is keen to help!

Independent education is one of this country’s proudest traditions and I am confident that the sector will bounce back from this hiatus with all its accustomed energy and commitment.

Come the Autumn, we want to use the heavily promoted announcement of the 2020 award winners to play a role in supporting the recovery of the sector. We want to use the stories of our award winners to amplify the message that our independent schools are on the front foot once again and delivering success in all its forms.

The 21 award categories have been designed with student excellence at their heart and collectively throw a light on the extraordinary and varied contribution of our independent schools.

Deploying our extended portfolio of magazines and digital platforms, Independent School Parent plans to work with our schools and the professional associations to celebrate and showcase the extraordinary achievements of students from the independent sector. Drawing on the stories of our 2020 Winners and other Finalists, we plan to be in the vanguard of the campaign to show the world why a British independent education remains the best in the world!

So, send us your entries for Independent Schools of the Year 2020 and make sure your school is part of the story of excellence and resilience which the sector will need to tell more vibrantly than ever in the next few difficult months.

Come and join us; help the sector to get back on the front foot!”

David Moncrieff, Chair, Editorial Advisory Board, Independent School Parent

Brought to you by Independent School Parent, Independent Schools of the Year 2020 is an awards programme designed to offer UK independent schools a platform to showcase their success stories and celebrate the student experiences they provide. The 21 awards categories have been designed to reflect the breadth and diversity of life in independent schools in the 21st century and to acknowledge their contribution to wider society. 2020 sees the introduction of a new award for The Overseas Campus of the Year, celebrating the extraordinary work which many UK independent schools undertake internationally.

The awards are free to enter for all independent schools which are members of an association in membership of the Independent Schools Council* and will be judged by a distinguished group of educationalists. The judging panel will once again be chaired by Dr Helen Wright, international education advisor and past Vice Chair of the ISC. The judges will be looking for schools to share stories of success underpinned by supporting evidence. Success comes in many forms and we want to celebrate them all.

It is hoped schools will view the awards as an opportunity to talk about their achievements and in doing so collectively celebrate the strength of the independent schools sector. Nominations will open on 17 March and close on 22 May. Entries are easy to submit using the online forms on this website. Commended schools will be announced in early June, finalists on 7 September and the winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on 5 October.

The winners, finalists and commended schools will be presented with specially commissioned rosettes and supporting collateral to use across their print and online marketing materials celebrating their success as they address the student recruitment challenges presented by the COVID-19 virus. Winning schools will also be awarded a trophy. The announcement of the winners will be the centrepiece to a PR campaign, across the Independent School Parent portfolio which will support the recovery from the impact on schools of the COVID-19 virus and push the message that our independent schools are back on the front foot and delivering student excellence in all its forms.